Monastery of the Theatines

Nerudova Street 24/215, Lesser Town

This house has been part of Monastery of the Theatines which also includes the kostel church of St. Theatin. The main monastery building from the end of the 17th century and beginning of the 18th century is found behind the church (Thunovská street 27/192). The monastery has been closed down in 1783 as part of Josephine reforms, sold and turned into a housing estate. The owner, rich pharmacist and Czech patriot J. D. Arbeiter, rented out the spaces of the former refectory to Prague patriots in the social circle of J. K. Tyl who ran a theatre in Czech language there; these included K. H. Mácha, K. Sabina, B. Jablonský and other personalities of Czech patriotic movement. Kajetán theatre represents an important milestone in the history of Czech theatre. In 1869 the building was purchased by Empress Marie Anna and gave it to the Order of Redemporists which were expelled from the monastery in 1950 by the Communist regime.